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New Content Creation Community About Warzone 2100 * Originally released in April '99, this first 3D RTS has become a unique classic, its gameplay never duplicated in the RTS genre of gameing. * In December 2004, after years of effort, the Source Code was released. * This Community is focused on creating New Content for the game, more immersive gameplay & supporting the creation tools that are used to achieve those ends. * We'll also keep tabs on all our Networked Warzone 2100 communities scattered hither & yon. In particular - * The Source Code Re-Development Project. * Warzone BerliOS OSS Re-Dev Project * SEE News Section below on details of the ReDev Project's First Build. * The operating philosophy of this network of communities is full disclosure of crux information, collaboration, mutual support of various projects & encouraging the growth of Warzone 2100's fan base of active players for years to come & across all hardware platforms. Rman JackRman Jack 21:38, 18 Jan 2005 (PST) Linux Port of Warzone * Member noid work can be found at the BerliOS Repository. * He has also .zipped some more of his work & made it available for download. * With the expiration of RTS.net domain & unavailability of those bbs it only makes sense that All Code Redev material & communication be conducted useing the tools & facilities afforded at BerliOS * All Code ReDev Stuff * Recently another member has begun submitting significant contributions to the Linux Port of WZ. * His name is Rodzilla & we hope that he will soon submit his efforts at BerliOS... * Rman JackRman Jack 16:06, 10 Mar 2005 (GMT) WZ Revival in '05 ? * Now that the Source is released & being Re-Developed * Will this year see Warzone 2100 undergo a revival ? * Depends... * It could come down to a common thread. 2 entwined strands running through everything &, like a spine, binding it together. * The "Dai Senryaku", or Grand Strategy, to WZ's revival boils down to this binding spine: * "Enhancing WZ Net MP so more newbies wanna play." * To this end the 2 strands that come together are NOT mysterious, farfetched or theoretic pie-in-the-sky. * They are feasible, viable, do-able. * The "HOW" of the strands has been identified in salient details. * Better sooner than later but one thing's for sure: * Until dealt with a revival of WZ in any significant numbers is remote. * It will remain niche. Even with the Linux Port, all the New Content, etc. * Net MP is WZ's Achilles Heel & has been for years. * Both strands can now be addressed. * Working Solutions to Reviving WZ Net MP: * Rufus's POV about the narrow range of Map Types being played - mainly confined to Flat / high-oil / $$ maps... "Team-wars" style. * How to make better Discussion HERE * Dealing with cheating by re-dressing "Game Logic" or "Rules" with Secure Networking Protocols in mind: * Defeating Net MP Cheating * If you want to comment in general on this OP-ED.....You think there are more salient factors, whatever..... * You Can Do So HERE Warzone, Linux & the CELL Processor * Latest CELL Processor Specs Right HERE * Of interest as well is the "Power Consortium" behind the CELL Processor - they look to have selected Linux for all "CELL" boxes (DTs & Servers) and.... * The Initial Target Market is China. * This Linux connection with the IBM / Sony Corp / Toshiba "CELL Chip" partnership: * About the "Power Consortium" & Linux Here * This also harkens to the concept of Grid Computing which you can find explained: * Anatomy of a Grid * Some spicy comments: * The Asian region is notorius for liking to play games for $$ stakes (ie. the RTS "StarCraft"). * The push for Linux games will take-on a new face: Mandarin Chinese. * Maybe a couple years from now there will be several million peeps playing the Warzone Port in China - throughout the Pacific Rim actually.. * You can be sure there will be High-Stake Gaming involved through-out that region... * Secure (anti-cheat) gameing will take-on the strictures of Vegas gameing.... * Direct Games game server could be a million $$ ticket literally for its creator - a long standing member of our WZ community.... Hey Cowboy, can I chaueffer you in your Silvercloud Rolls Royce ? heh :) * Discuss Any of this * Rman New WZ Customizer Kit Ready ! * Strata is done codeing a Major Upgrade to WZCK. * He just recently did same for "PIE Slicer". * You can get your copy here: * Download New Version Here * Have something to share with Strata: * Report Your Experiences Here * This is a "Visual Basic 6" proggy so you'll need to have the runtime which most already do. But if you don't it's a 1 Mb download at the MS site. * Have fun creating with this awesome new incarnation of Strata's WZ editor. :-) PIE Slicer Fix COMPLETED & Up * Strata has solved the .PCX Texture re-load prob. * New Build is now available: Snag It Right Here Chojun's Ambitious WZ Project * Warzone 2100 is written in Gnarly C * Chojun calls his Project: * "A Shiny New Framework" * What he's doing is the precursor to re-creating portions of WZ 2100 ala OOP: Object-Oriented. * His object of attention (pun intended) is the heart of modifying WZ - the .wdg structure. * From the .wdg much else can be leverged as Archimedes would say (yes, that pun was intended as well.) * The details of how he's tackling this long-term project I hope will be made available @ BerliOS in the near future. * It was at the realtimestrategies.net Forums & called A Shiny New Framework but those bbs are not available presently due to the domain not being renewed - same deal as what happened with P-2 little over a year ago. * Does history repeat or just rhyme ? * It's hard to tell the difference on these occasions. * Rman 3/10/05 Some Trends in the Game Industry * These are my observations & opinions. * "Money talks the rest takes a walk." * The Game Industry Model is undergoing transformation from several, inter-locking, vantages. * One vantage is the Hollywood Movie-making Model (begun some decades back) of "Out-sourcing" for talent / skills rather than having it all "In-house". * A second is the Rise of "Middleware SDKs": for "Pathing", "Advanced A.I.", "Networking & Security" for Web MP & so on. This also allowing for more time & focus on gameplay & playtesting - with a shorter dev cycle & cost ! * Thirdly, on the MP front, there is a concerted push to Model comp-vid gaming into a Competitive Structure like Pro Sports. Tourneys for substantial dough, etc. * This last is to tap into the Multi-Billion dollar spectating & gambling market - very much a part of the gameing impulse like Casino Games, the Ponies, Dog racing... Even OTB on Pro & College Sports. * Successfull Web MP also adds to a titles longevity & thus the bottomline.... Plus mana from merchandising revene streams: collectibles, movie / book / comics tie-ins. Thus also contributing to growing a Name Brand that offers a built-in audience for future titles. * Not every vid-comp game can benefit from a blockbuster movie marketing tie-in. * But most blockbuster games can gain additional economic mana from a Pro-competitive tie-in with $ stakes and the gambling associated with it - with or without a Movie. Collateral merchandising still in the mix. * This translates to an even greater need for network secure gaming. * Revenue-wise, vid-comp gameing has accended to the pinnacle of the entertainment industry heap - the Multi-Billion Dollar Club. * Lots of money is at stake on the dev & distribution side. * For every one mega-success there are countless failures in the marketplace. * That's a lot of risk & losses to absorb. * Anything that can effectively cut costs & augment various revenue streams is being actively pursued. * On the issue of secure net vid-comp gameing the work of SecurePlay Net MP Technology is worth examining for a whole host reasons. * Fourth: the Modularization of Design Architecture to faciltate scalability, re-usability of software assets in sequels, reduce dev cycle time and encourage fan-base modders to create. For successful Mods have proven to add to the sales / longevity of a title by enlisting the talents & skills of an unpaid labor pool. Eventually that pool may become something akin to the Minor Leagues in sports.... Like Triple AAA ball to MLB. * Inexpensive, genre specific, integrated game development suites (inc. state of the art game engines) with SDKs & upgrade paths. Freeing up indie game development from the prohibitive costs of setting-up a brick & mortar Game Studio / Team. The Net providing a low-cost remote collaboration medium and, later, distribution channel. * All the above are joined at the hip or on the way to convergence. A critical-mass, or tipping-point, to reduce costs, maximize the diversity of revenue streams, & reinvigorate innovation in the design paradigms by minimizing finacial risks. * Money talks, the rest takes a walk. * A follow-up question of some interest would be: * HOW do Open-source games fit into this dynamic ? * Comments on this Editorial: * Discussion HERE * Rman. Fun Links to Check-Out * Come across interesting stuff on my web sphere forays that I'll pass along here. * Last 40 Years - 50 Comp Games of Lasting Influence * A History of RTS Part 1 of 2 At Gamespot * 100 of the Funniest Jokes of All Time * How Stuff Works * Urban Dictionary * You have some Favorites ? * Share Them With Us Place Holder A Vision of Warzone II * Or...... * RTS as it Was, Is and Could Be.... * Essentially 2 Dimensions of gameplay suffice to define RTS. * 1.) Player Perception RT- Control over World Building (heretofore predominantly 3rd PPOV) * 2.) Player Perception RT- Control over building & Commanding Armies on the Field of Battle.(heretofore predominantly 3rd PPOV) * Within the scope of that definition you can have the prevalent copy-cat mediocrity of the last 6-years with the occasional minimal variant or * I posit that RTS can subsume FPS, RPG, & RT Tactical without violating RTS's essential character. * WHY do this ? * Because the RTS paradigm has grown stale & its fan base severly diminished such that the genre as a whole is, by any metric, been marginalized in the greater gameing community. * Also - it would be loads of FUN ! * AND - It can be done elegantly. * HOW ? - You'll have to enter the magical spaces of this "New Content Community" for reams of foundation & innovative game design. :) * BTW: The reverse is NOT possible or desirable, methinks... * To wit - neither FPS, RPG or RT Tactical can inturn subsume RTS. * Ergo, RTS can resurge as more of an equal to FPS, RPG & RT Tactical in fan base #'s like it has NOT been able to for the last 7-8 years. * Lastly - WZ2 can spearhead this enhanced RTS design paradigm for it is ideally positioned to do so & has the requisite potential already imbeded in its Code ReDev architechtonic.. * KEY: * POV = point of view * RT = real-time * You have some thoughts of your own on any of this do share them..... * Heres's what I think - that's YOU ! * Rman New Tech To Ponder * Technology that, in one way or another, can be viewed as linked to WZ Re-Dev, the making of Mods or a New Campaign. * Like...... WZ OPs With Robots ? * RL Military Robots & More * Discuss Robots WZ Docs Project Up-Dated * Coyote has just released the latest version of his "WZ Docs Project" in download form. This is a modders indispensable How-To. * Todays date: 2/12/05 * New Edition 3.7 as .chm @ just over 19 mb. * Download Here Place Holder NIKER's KMS: K-I-C-K Mod Switcher * Try it you'll like it ! * I've just recently come to NIKER's KMS. * And only because I'm looking at a pre-release of Niker's latest work on his Become Prey A.I. (KMS version) - which is a topic for a later discussion. * KMS is what I want to touch on here. * Now I've had a long history with WZS that goes back to it's birth in an IRC chat in May '99. * I've never used anything else & think Troman's development work over the years has been outstanding. That's like 5+ years & indicative of the dedication of some of our members in creating WZ stuff. * I'll continue to use WZS, no doubt. * But now, I'll also use KMS & am glad to have finally been open to trying it out. * It's a different approach to handling WZ Mod .wdgs that has much to recommend it. * NIKER has also addressed some of the issues with the orginal v.1.11 Patch. * His version is called Pure v.1.11 & he has made KMS such that you can run this patch ver. along with his BP A.I. which altogether makes for some great skirmish gaming. * NIKER has thought-out KMS really well & running it. Going back & forth with WZS is easy & painless. * Having both WZS & KMS is the way to go. * There are other neat features to KMS..... But you can discover that for yourself by d/l & installing... You'll be glad you did. * Hop on over to NIKER'S & get yourself some very kwel WZ toys. * NIKERs BP A.I. & KMS Site Place Holder 4 FREE, Playable & Legal WZ * For those new to Warzone 2100 ... * THE DOWNLOAD * Well Member Jocke>>TF<< has been busy & has put this together. * Download & get to playing.... no fuss, no muss. * He has it hosted at: * Bit Torrent * Warzone 2100 Setup.torrent * Mirror Links will follow shortly. Games Of Note & Impact * Watershed games whose design in some way correlates to WZ Re-Development or Mods. * Like..... Earth 2160 4th Installment in the Series * Now with a Physics Engine ! * Tasty Preview HERE * And here's a new game with the sweetest "Command & Control" mechanisms - including "Situational Awareness" - & "Tactically Smart" unit A.I. It's called Brothers In Arms * "BIA" Profile * Another RTS (soon to be released) where "Rank & Experience" are integral to gameplay & trully matter in decision-making is called Officers. * In this game the Player's "Avatar" has a tangible stake in everything that unfolds. * "Officers" Preview Info * Wanna Discuss This Stuff Warzone Creation Tools * Links to these tools have been made more inclusive. * If you know of any WZ Tools not listed - give me a jingle. :) * You can jump from here to the links & review: * Go To WZ Creation Tool Links UPDATED * ALSO: we are growing Knowledge-Bases of these tools..... feel free to contribute or share your expertise. This will be a great boon to those novices just getting started or even vets who might be stumped. There's always something new to be learned - that's part of the Fun ! * Growing WZ Tool Knowledge-Bases * Rman JackRman Jack 10:35, 18 Jan 2005 (PST) MAR's Project Stuff * Faithcat has posted 2 reviews of Coyote's "Mars CAM Maps". * Faithcat has done a swell job of conveying the play experience. * Read Reviews * If your intrigued to try them then head on over to our WZ Network Links Section & press the hotlink to Speedy's "WZ GOODIES" site.... Speedy has just about everything that has been created for WZ over the last 5+ years. Great Site !!! * Or if your curious to see what the whole Mars CAM is about you can jump directly to: Mars Campaign Project * Rman Place Holder Place Holder Mission Statement * Our goal is to band all New Content Creators into a collaborative environment that's more robust than a BB. * Here we can support each other in concurrent Projects while growing Knowledge Bases of all Creation Tools. This will benefit all fans & grow that base into the future. Creating To Play is our credo. * Discussion will facilitate tangible creation & bring into gameplay NOW ! * By extention, we are founded on sharing info & encouraging one anothers work to completion. * Here we'll also engage discussions on any topic under the sun that inspires Creativity, Learning & FUN. Source Code Re-Development Project * We are about New Content but we'll keep close ties to the ReDev Efforts. * This OSS RevDev Project of Warzone, under GPL, will be in a Repository on BerliOS & Platform Independent. * Grizzly & noid have done a tremendous job of setting-up the Project Repository @ BerliOS. The SVN directory alone reveals their deep understanding of the heurisms involved. Kudos gentlemen !! * The WZ Code ReDev is prospering within the BerliOS apparatus & community. It is robust through & through. * Coders head on over & be a part of RTS Gameing History in the makeing. Highwater Benchmarks will be set by the Project well into the foreseeable future. It's core participants are able, practical yet visionary, & commited to evolving the game into the 21st Century across multiple HW platforms. * Warzone BerliOS OSS Re-Dev Project Rman JackRman Jack 21:06, 12 Feb 2005 (GMT) Code ReDev Projects First Build DONE !! * The "First Win Build" is READY !!: version 1.10a. * This is what has been done: * Increase unit limits to 300. * Includes Troman's 2 New Script Functions for writing A.I.s * Increase Factory build order queue from 9 to 25 * Increase commander limits * Increase research tree limits * Increase polygon and points limits to 512 * ALSO: Member noid is preparing his Linux Port work in the repository for continued concurent & platform indie dev. * NEXT Win Build will likely inc: * Addressing known bug of the CTD caused by exceeding the # of Maps imposed by the "Widget Limits". * Implement "Commander Upgrades" * Integrate * Troman's String Support in the scripting engine. * More ? * Grab the latest build &/or contribute here: * Warzone BerliOS OSS Re-Dev Project Rman JackRman Jack UPDATED A.I. Script Lang Doc. by Karmazilla * Karma started working on this New & more inclusive presentation of the Warzone Artificial Intelligence Script Language Documentation. * It's a lovely & very helpful piece of work. * Here's what Karma says: * The "package" is a structured collection of easely navigable HTML files that together form and contain the knowledge from the original scriptLang.rtf plus numerous additions and improvements here and there by myself, Troman and Chojun. * You can get it: * HERE Now * Soon Coyote will also have it at his "WZ Doc. Projects" (see WZ Portal for links) Check out Table of Contents, NEWS & Links * Projects Table of Contents UPDATED Rman JackRman Jack * NEWS UPDATED Rman JackRman Jack * Links To WZ Network UPDATED Rman JackRman Jack YOUR Input Requested * SUGGESTIONS, Thoughts...... Why just ..... * Hit the hotlink to express your thoughts on the matter - whatever it might be: * Express Yourself * Also.... take a minute & Sign-Up For Our Mail List * Don't make it by often.... well with a WZ MAIL Subscription you can stay up-to-date on all the happenings. Summaries of WZ Community events is its mission. Thanks, Rman JackRman Jack Things To Come 2 Nav & Post Formating Tips * It's all been collected in the following space: * Press Here For Extensive HELP Place Holder VERY-HOT Breaking NEWS ! * WZ Fan Base GROWING !! * Gigabytes of WZ are being downloaded from both..... * Bronco's SP Site and * Jocke's playable assemblage of the game at bit torrent. * Many happy hours of contention for new fans with a Campaign that to this day stands as a compelling gameing experience. :) * Plus all the countless maps & powerful skirmish A.I.'s that can be had & your looking at months of FREE & thrilling fun. (See our Portal section for links.) * So..... whatcha think.... new WZ fan... kwel or just sweet as heck ? * POST Here Place Holder World Edit KB & CAM Files * Step by step procedural for CAM assembly has been added to the World Edit Knowledge Base. * You can hop-over, review, add to or comment by way of FAQs or the following hotlink: * Campaign File Assembly * Rman Jack * Thanks to: Angela